Paper-clip.



No. 783,964. PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905.

G. B. KEPLINGER.

PAPER CLIP.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov.7, 1so4.

` 6190279@ Kei: linger Patented February 2B, 1905u FFllQF.

GEORGE B. KEPLINGER, 0F UHIUAG, LL'IN 01S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,964, dated February 28, 1905.

Application filed November '7, 1904. Serial Nol 231,672.

To rl/ZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. KnrLINenn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper-Clips, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying' drawings.

My invention relates to paper clips or fasteners, and has :for its object to provide a novel device of this character which is inexpensive of manufacture, easily applied, and securely holds the papers from separation.

rlhe invention consists of the device hereinafter particularly described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

.ln the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View, en an enlarged scale, of a papcr-clip made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan View of a modified form of clip. Fig. L is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the clip. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 7. Fig. 7 illustrates a further modilication of the invention. Fig. 8 illustrates another modification. Figs. 9 and Yl0 illustrate the manner of al'iplying the clip. Fig. l'l is a perspective View showing the clip attached, and Fig. 12 is a section on the line 12 12 ol Fig. 11.

The invention comprises generally a suitable plate 10, provided with a bar il, stamped up froni the plate 10 and between which and the plate the paper is inserted, so as to be firmly gripped and held when the plate is turned over or folded on itself.

The invention may be embodied in various forms, sonne of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The plate l0 may be of any suitable size and of any suitable shapesas, for example, in Figs. l and 3 the plate is shown as substantially oval in form, while in Fig. 8 it is rectangular and in Fig. 7 circular. Other forms may be employed, if desired, the shape of the plate not being material. The plate 10 is preferably made from a thin pliable sheet of metal capable of being readily bent or folded upon itself, and for this purpose thin sheets of brass, tin, or other suitable metal may be employed.

The bar l1 is stamped up from the plate 10 and of a suitable length, its ends being' angularly disposed and connected to the plate and is spaced frorn the plate a proper distance to permit of the thickness of sheets to be fastened to be readily slipped between the bar and plate. As shown in Fig. 5, the bar 1l is parallel with the plate 10. In the clip shown in Fig. 7 the plate is slitted, as at l2, for a suitable distance, and the metal between the slits is then pressed or stamped outwardly to provide the bar 1l. In the construction shown in Figs. 3 and IL a portion of the plate at one side of the bar l1 is cut out, as at 13, while in the construction shown in Figs. l, 2, and t3 the plate is eut away at both sides of the bar, as at 1st. As shown in Fig'. 8, one or both edges of the bar 1l may be serrated or provided with teeth l5.

In applying the clip the corners of the sheets to be fastened are slipped in between the plate l0 and the bar l1, as clearly shown in Fig. 9. The plate is then bent or folded over upon itself, preferably bendingon the line of theI slit or opening toward the center of the sheets, as shown in Fig. l0. The foldcdor upper side of the plate is then pressed li rnil y upon the sheets, so as to bring the two sides of the plate 10 as close together as possible, as shown in Fig. Ill and in section in Fig. l2. By reference to the iatter ligure it will be seen that the corners of the sheets are folded back upon the sheets between thc bar 1l and the upper side of the folded plate, while the body of the sheets is located between the bar l1 and the under side of the plate, thereby securely holding the sheets together and preventing their separation from the clip and from eachother. While the clips illustrated in Figs. l, 7, and, 8 may be readily folded .in the manner described, by cutting out the plate at only one side of the bar, as shown in Fig. 3, the plate is insured oi. folding along' the line of suoli cut-away portion by reason of the greater weakness of the plate at the ends of such cutaway portion. The serrated or toothed bar (shown in Fig. 8) is particularly useful for fastening' together thick sheets, as the teeth when the clip is folded bite into the paper, and while this is not necessary, yet in some instances it may be-,desirable rlhese clips may be -used either as a permanent fastener, When a cheaper metal, such as tin, may be employed, or as a temporary fastener by making the clips of a more fieXible metal, so as to permit their being folded and unfolded repeatedly without breaking.

Clips of this character are exceedinglyY inexpensive of manufacture and are applied Without the'use of tools. l` he sheets may be secured together rand then detached from the clip without mutilating the sheets. As there are no protruding points or projections, there is no danger of the lingers being lacerated .or pricked in attaching the clip, and also for this reason the clip may be used on paper sent through the mail Without liability of injuring other papers or tearing the envelop.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. A paper-clip comprising a pliable metal plate having a bar cut therefrom and connected at its ends thereto.

2. A paper-clip comprising a pliable metal plate provided with a bar cut from the same and spaced therefrom.

3. A paper-clip comprising a pliable metal plate having a bar cut from and raised above tle plate and connected only at its ends to the p ate.

4. A paper-clip comprising a pliable metal plate provided With an elongated slot and having an integral bar parallel with the slot and spaced from the plate.

5. A paper-clip comprising a pliable metal plate provided With a pair of parallel elongated slots and having an integral bar stamped up from the metal between the slots. Y

6. A paper-clip comprising a pliable metal plate provided With a bar cut from the same and spaced therefrom and having teeth at its edges.

ln testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

GEORGE B. KEPLINGER.

Witnesses:

' ELIZABETH MoLIToR, ARTHUR B. SEIBoLD. 

